Itan Ijapa ati Érin (ink on wood) by Olajide Ogunsola

Something for the young ones
This is a useful piece for teaching young minds about the Yoruba culture and our centuries old tradition of storytelling. Itan Ijapa ati Érin (The story of the Tortoise and the Elephant) is one of many age-old Yoruba stories or alóò. It is also one in a series that features the Ijapa (tortoise) and illustrates that in spite of its weird appearance and sluggish movement it has endured a survival-of-the-fittest animal kingdom. The Yoruba alóò echoes the universal practice of storytelling and the Itan Ijapa ati Érin specifically draws on the global idea of animism as a feature of storytelling. Itan Ijapa ati Érin can hence be seen as an example alongside the Ghanian Anansie the Spider series and the German Grimm Brothers Little Ride Riding Hood.